The Mist and Magic of the Forest
by pantherpride1206
Summary: Basically, this is just a bunch of Warriors oneshots that I've written for my forum, RMSC Rain, Mist, Snow, Cloud , and my official online family, HPLO: Spellbound. Please RR!
1. Randomness Gathering MR

The night was clear, perfect for a gathering. A brightly shining full moon was just overhead where a large group of cats were sitting.

"Come on," a young tom growled, clawing at the peaty ground with his ginger and white paws. "Get a move on!"

"Don't rush Onestar," a dark gray she-cat murmured from the tom's side, narrowing her blue eyes. "What are you so eager about, anyway?"

A dusky brown tom at the front of the group flicked his tail at the group a heartbeat later, signaling for the others to follow him.

"Finally!" muttered the white and ginger tom.

Not long later, the group arrived at four large pine trees, darting under the branches where other cats sat.

"I wonder if Hawkwing's here," the gray cat thought aloud, looking around the clearing beneath the trees.

"Rainshadow!" a voice called, and a moment later the gray she-cat could see her friend's dark tabby pelt flying towards her.

"Hawkwing!" she cried back, rushing forward to touch noses with the other cat.

Rainshadow's companion, the white and ginger tom, twitched his whiskers at being left alone, but shook it off irritably. He would have to find some other cat to sit with. He wandered further into the clearing, gazing around as if looking for some cat.

His eyes fell on a tom, black as midnight, about four fox-lengths away. _Webwhisker,_ the tom thought. But before he could think anything else, he heard someone call his name.

"Swiftstalker! Over here!" Swiftstalker swerved around and headed in the direction of the voice.

"Hey, Rainshadow, move over! Make room for your mate," a dark brown cat was meowing at Rainshadow.

"He's _not_ my mate," she grumbled back, but inched closer to the brown cat to make room for Swiftstalker.

"Thought you could get away from us, did you?" Hawkwing asked as Swiftstalker settled himself between Rainshadow and a ginger she-cat nearby.

"Yeah, like that could happen," the brown she-cat next to Rainshadow meowed. "You're certainly a she-cat's tom!"

"Funny, Mudface." Swiftstalker flicked her with his long tail.

"Shh," the ginger she-cat hissed. "The gathering's about to start."

"Shh, yourself," Rainshadow whispered back. "When have you ever actually cared what's said during a gathering, Ivyclaw?"

"Shut up, Rainshadow," she answered.

Eventually the noise died down and the Clan leaders began to speak. Even though he was the only tom in the middle of a large group of she-cats, Swiftstalker had never felt less alone.

THE END!

Why did I write this story? Who the muffin knows.


	2. New Clans in the Forest RMSC

With the full moon shining brightly, the sky had turned dark blue, much different than its usual black nature. A young gray cat padded swiftly beside a thin stream. On the opposite bank of the stream, another cat appeared.  
"I see I wasn't the only one to receive the message, then," the other cat said softly, turning her dark brown head to look at the gray cat.  
"Mud!" the gray cat exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in a long time!" She jumped across the narrow strip of water to walk alongside Mud.  
"Rain," Mud whispered into the cool night air, "what do you think this is all about? The cat that visited me mentioned something about warriors, clans, and stars. I haven't been able to figure it out!"  
Rain murmured her agreement. The two she-cats walked in silence for a few moments. Soon, a tall, flat-faced rock beneath a willow tree came into view.  
"I'm guessing this is Willow Rock," Rain murmured to Mud. "Look, I can see other cats about!" Mud rushed forward, Rain following more slowly. She knew some of these cats, but not very well.  
As soon as Rain found somewhere to settle, all the cats in the clearing seemed to grow quiet. A strange glow became visible from the top of the Willow Rock, and soon a white cat appeared.  
"Greetings," the white cat said, looking around at his audience. "My name is Snowtail of StarClan. I am here to offer you the life of a warrior." Snowtail talked for a long time, describing what living in a Clan would be like. Rain thought that being a rogue was a hard life, and she'd much rather join a Clan. After Snowtail had finished his speech, he asked the cats to separate into two groups: Clan cats and rogue cats. Rain was the first on the Clan side.  
Once all the cats had settled again, Snowtail dismissed the rogue cats. He turned to face the others.  
"Rain," he called, resting his green eyes on the gray she-cat. "Come forward." Rain obliged. Snowtail then called up Mud and two other cats that Rain didn't know.  
"You four all show great leadership qualities. I ask you to be leaders of your Clans. Rain," he continued. "You will be leader of MistClan. From this moment on, you will be known as Rainstar." Rainstar bowed her head.

"Mud," he meowed, gazing at the brown she-cat, "step forward." Mud padded up to stand beside the new Rainstar. "You will be leader of CloudClan. You will now be known as Mudstar." Mudstar, following Rainstar's actions, dipped her head.

"Stone," Snowtail said, turning to the larger gray tom, "come forward." The gray tom stepped up beside Mudstar. "You will be the leader of RainClan, and you will be known as Stonestar." Stonestar followed suit with Mudstar and Rainstar's actions, and respectfully bowed his head.

Rainstar, respectfully sitting in the back of the group with Mudstar to watch the naming ceremony, took a glance at the last remaining cat. His silvery-blue fur shone bright with the moon as Snowtail called him forward.  
"Blue," Snowtail said. "With one Clan remaining, I ask you to be leader of SnowClan."  
Blue nodded. "I would be honored."  
"Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Bluestar." Snowtail turned to look at the other three leaders. "Come back at the half-moon to receive your nine new lives. Until then, I would suggest laying down your territories and gathering together your Clans." The ghostly white tom jumped up on the Willow Rock and disappeared, leaving only a hint of his star-like scent.  
The newly named Bluestar stepped back a few paces to sit beside Stonestar, who was facing Rainstar and Mudstar. "So... should we start dividing the land?" he asked.  
Rainstar, looking up at the moon, shook her head. "Let's wait until morning, when we can see what we're dealing with."  
Stonestar dipped his head in agreement. "That seems wise."  
So the four cats laid down where they stood, falling asleep in a mass of gray and brown fur.

When the sun rose the next morning, shedding watery gray light on the sleeping cats, Rainstar lifted her head and was instantly greeted by a dark brown tabby.  
"Hey! Are you Rainstar? Last night I dreamed about this white cat that was telling me to find you so we could make a Clan, whatever that is. So what's up?" The she-cat was obviously wide awake.  
Rainstar blinked. "What? Who are you?"  
"I'm Hawk. Can I be your friend?" Hawk beamed.

Rainstar was still half asleep and dazed at the newcomer's sudden proposal and last night's dream of starry warriors and prophecies she didn't understand.  
"Err... ok," Rainstar replied awkwardly as the other cats around began to arouse.

Rainstar stood up, stretched, and yawned, shaking the sleepiness away. "So... Hawk. You met Snowtail too?" Hawk nodded enthusiastically.  
"When are we going to go find our Clan?" she asked, turning in a circle excitedly. Rainstar purred in amusement.  
"Are you wanting to join MistClan?" she asked the young tabby.  
"Yes!" Hawk yowled, her eyes sparkling. Rainstar told Hawk to calm down.  
"To be a Clan cat, you must have a warrior name. So... I guess I get to name you! How fun! So, from this moment on, you will be known as Hawkwing. MistClan welcomes you and your loyalty, and I hope you will be a loyal deputy."  
"_Deputy!_" Hawkwing jumped. Rainstar watched, her eyes gleaming.  
Though while Hawkwing was jumping around, she accidentally pounced on Bluestar's tail. Bluestar yowled, waking Mudstar and Stonestar.  
"What's going on?!" Bluestar growled, licking his tail fur smooth.

"I have a deputy," Rainstar meowed to Bluestar.  
"How are we going figure out which cats go to which Clans?" Mudstar meowed.  
"I suppose we can just ask them which Clan they want to be in," Stonestar meowed, just as confused as Mudstar.  
"If MistClan has a deputy, then SnowClan needs a deputy!" Bluestar meowed hastily.

"I think it'd be a good idea to lay down the territories first," Rainstar meowed to the three other leaders. "How about this: we explore today, discuss tonight, and set borders tomorrow?"  
"Will we have time to explore all of the land today?" Stonestar asked.  
Bluestar frowned in a grumpy manner. "Probably not. We should spend at least two days exploring."  
"What sharp thing do you think _he's_ sitting on?" Hawkwing murmured into Rainstar's ear. Rainstar couldn't help it - she giggled.

"Better watch your tongue, Hawk!" Bluestar hissed at the tabby she-cat.  
"It's Hawkwing now!" she insisted.  
"I don't care what your name is, I can still claw your ears right off your head," he hissed.  
"No you won't!" Mudstar scolded. "Until we find territories and camps, we have to stick together, no matter how much we hate each other," she added, throwing a quick glance toward Bluestar.

"Let's start over here on the moorland," Mudstar meowed to her companions.  
"Who died and made you leader?" Bluestar hissed to her.  
"Apparently, Snowtail did," she hissed back.

Rainstar let out a little hiss of laughter, to which Bluestar almost replied with his claws.  
"I do think it'd be a good idea for us to begin with the moor," Hawkwing meowed timidly, glancing at Rainstar for her leader's approval. Rainstar gave a sharp nod, and Hawkwing sat straight again.  
"Fine," Bluestar grumbled. The five cats instantly set out to start exploring.

As the trees began to thin, the moorland began to stretch out in front of the five journeying cats. Mudstar began to race ahead of the other cats and bound all around, sniffing at every hole and hedge in the area.  
"This would be a GREAT place for CloudClan," Mudstar meowed enthusiastically. "I love the open air and wind in my face! We shou..."  
"Shut you mouth, Mud. We're not done exploring the territory," Bluestar hissed at Mudstar.  
"Somebody woke with a fox in there den," Hawkwing meowed to Rainstar.

"Shh! You'll just provoke him more!" Rainstar replied to her deputy.  
"MudSTAR, actually," Mudstar snapped at him.  
"Oh! MudSTAR then," Bluestar said in mock apology.  
Once the cats had finished exploring the moorland, they decided to search the forest.  
"So...I really like the moorland!" Mudstar meowed under her breath.  
"It doesn't matter what you like, Mudstar, we haven't even checked the whole place!" Bluestar hissed at her.

"I really do like the moor," Mudstar whispered to Rainstar, who let out a purr of sympathy and amusement.  
Sunhigh was just setting in as the cats first set paw in the forest. After traveling for a ways, Hawkwing, who was leading, stopped, looking down with distaste at the liquid that lapped at her paws.  
"Well, what's wrong?" hissed Bluestar. "It's just a river!" He jumped into the stretch of murky brown water and confidently swam across. When he reached the other shore, he jumped out and shook the water out of his fur like it was a scrap of leaf. His traveling companions stared at him.  
"What?" he growled. "Afraid to get your paws wet?"  
Rainstar glared at him, then looked both ways for an easier route and spotted one instantly. "Mouse-brain," she called over to Bluestar. "You could've used these rocks!" She nodded towards a large and water-free pathway right through the river.  
The four remaining cats jumped over the four large boulders sticking out of the river, arriving without a drop of water on their pelts. Bluestar just glared at them.  
Once all together, the five cats started walking again. But they hadn't taken two pawsteps before hearing a loud hiss.  
"Stay out of my territory!" some cat yowled, instantly springing out of her den, hidden under a low bush. Stonestar was closest, therefore being the first to come face-to-face with the she-cat.  
"Get out," the she-cat hissed, her tortoiseshell fur bristling, her orange eyes aflame.  
Stonestar was about to pounce on the tortoiseshell when Mudstar yowled, "Stop! We're not here to fight!"

Hearing Mudstar's call, Stonestar tripped over a loose rock and went tumbling and landed in a thorn bush.  
"Ouch!" he called. "Thanks a lot, Mudstar!" He limped out of the bush with his front paw held up. "I have a thorn thanks to you!" he meowed to her.  
"Who knows how to take a thorn out?" Rainstar asked her companions.  
"I think I do," Mudstar said.  
"Oh let me do it!" the tortoiseshell she-cat told her.  
She pulled the thorn out with her teeth and let out a MRROW of laughter when Stonestar squealed like a kit.  
"Lick your paw clean while I make a poultice for your wound." With that she stalked back into her den.  
"Didn't Snowtail say we needed a deputy and a medicine cat?" Mudstar asked.  
"He did, actually," Rainstar told her, remembering.  
"If she wants to join a Clan how do we know which Clan she's to join?" Stonestar asked between licks.  
"We could ask her, couldn't we?" Mudstar asked.  
"Ask me what?" the she-cat meowed when she backed out of her den.  
"If you want to join a Clan!" Hawkwing said quickly.

"Well, how many Clans are there?" the tortoiseshell asked, carefully patting a dab of herbs on Stonestar's foot.  
"Four. Me, Mudstar, Stonestar, and Bluestar are the leaders," Rainstar told her. "By the way, what's your name?"  
"Spots is the name. What role would I play in a Clan?" Spots sat down and looked up at the leaders.  
"Most likely a medicine cat," Hawkwing said.  
"Medicine cat? What do they do?"  
"Well, I'm not sure. What do medicine cats do?" Mudstar asked, looking at Rainstar.  
"I don't know," Rainstar replied. "Heal wounds? Look after sick cats? Oh, I think Snowtail mentioned something about talking with StarClan..."

"Who is this StarClan?" Spots asked.  
"They're ancient warrior cats. Snowtail is part of StarClan and he told us what to do," Mudstar said.  
"When you say it like that, it sounds like we're being controlled by dead cats," Bluestar muttered.  
"Hmm...Would I be protected from badgers and foxes and Twolegs and other creatures of the forest?" Spots asked them.  
"Yes! The clan protects its Clanmates," Mudstar told her.  
"Yes, I think I'll join a Clan then."  
"Now there's just the problem of which Clan you'll be in," Rainstar said.  
"You said there are four, correct?"  
"Right," Mudstar told her.  
"Well what are they called?"  
"RainClan, MistClan, SnowClan, and CloudClan," Hawkwing told the tortoiseshell she-cat.  
Spots looked up in surprise as Hawkwing said CloudClan.  
"I had a dream last night," she told them. "This white cat told me that CloudClan would be my new home."  
"That must have been Snowtail!" Hawkwing meowed. "He came to me in a dream also and said I had to come find Rainstar and I found her!"  
"So you're supposed to be in my Clan!" Mudstar meowed. The joy on her face was visible for every cat to see. "I'm Mudstar, by the way. I guess I get to give you a name!"  
"What about MY name?" Spots asked.  
"That's a rouge name," Rainstar told her. "You need a Clan name."  
"Well, then, what's it going to be?" Spots asked, turning back to Mudstar.  
"Hmm...Spottedfire!" Mudstar said.

The tortoiseshell she-cat let out a purr. "That's a really cool name!"  
"But I bet StarClan doesn't recognize you," Bluestar grumbled, "when Mudstar didn't even use the proper words."  
Rainstar flicked Bluestar with her tail. "Shut up, you big grump."  
Bluestar looked like he was about to claw Rainstar's ear off until Stonestar stepped in front of her, narrowing his yellow eyes. "This is not a time for fights," he growled to the smaller tom.  
"We should keep moving if we want to look at every type of land," Hawkwing said quickly. "Spottedfire, is there anything you'd like to carry with you?"

"I don't have anything to get," Spottedfire told her.  
"Well then we can carry on!" Bluestar said.  
"Actually, Spottedfire... I forgot to tell you that medicine cats can't take mates," Mudstar said slowly, hoping the she-cat wouldn't change her mind.  
"What? Why?" Spottedfire asked, surprised.  
"That way you can be closer to StarClan. Without the distractions of a kit and a mate you will be able to help sick cats," Rainstar meowed.  
"I guess that makes sense," Spottedfire reasoned. "So let's get this show on the road!"  
So the six cats headed towards the deeper parts of the forest, searching for their new homes.

As the cats continued to travel, they noticed that the trees were very thin and a lot of sunlight was shining through.  
"I like how the trees give some shade but the sun can also shine here," Bluestar meowed gruffly. "This would be the perfect spot for SnowClan."  
Mudstar glanced at him furiously. "No claiming the land before we've explored it all," she taunted.  
"But no other cats can swim in the river!" Bluestar protested.  
"Let's not talk about it right now," Spottedfire mewed quietly. She glanced at the sky, where a beautiful pink sunset shone dimmingly down. "We should find a spot to camp for the night. We'll explore the rest in the morning." Her five traveling companions didn't argue after that.  
Stonestar, Rainstar, and Hawkwing went out to hunt while Bluestar, Mudstar, and Spottedfire gathered moss for makeshift nests.

When the hunting cats returned, they heard Mudstar and Bluestar bickering like there was no tomorrow.  
"I want the territory here, with the river in it!" Bluestar was saying loudly.  
"Well, I wanted the moorland when we were back there and you said no!" Mudstar retorted hotly.  
Walking up, Rainstar scolded them. "No wonder we didn't catch much prey, with you two yowling loud enough to wake a badger!"

Bluestar narrowed his eyes and spat, "Tell this mouse brain that only SnowClan cats would even think of swimming in the river and it would be pointless for another Clan to settle here."  
Mudstar glared at him and lashed her tail. "Well, even though it would be completely pointless, could you try and explain to this bit of fox dung that the moor is the only home suitable for CloudClan?"  
"Calm down, you two," Spottedfire meowed half-heartedly, looking flustered. She turned her big orange eyes on Rainstar. "Help."  
"Haven't we settled this enough times yet?" Rainstar said, calmly sitting down and wrapping her speckled tail over her paws. "We will discuss this when we have arrived back at Willow Rock."  
"Afterwards, we will set out and spend the days until the half-moon looking for members for our Clans," Stonestar continued explaining, sitting next to Rainstar.  
"You guys are a bit thick-headed," Hawkwing muttered, curling up in the nearest nest with a rather scrawny mouse in front of her. "Honestly, how many times must you hear something for it to stick?"  
When all the cats had finally settled down for the night, Mudstar, who was lying next to Rainstar, murmured, "I think Snowtail made a mistake in naming Bluestar a leader. Did he lose his mind momentarily?" Rainstar let out a sleepy laugh.  
"Bluestar will be a fine leader. Just wait."  
With that, the two she-cats fell asleep.  
But the next day was only worse.

Hawkwing woke up to the sounds of Bluestar grunting as Spottedfire dabbed at his shoulder with some cobwebs.  
"Whoa, what happened to you?" she asked.  
"Mudstar _accidentally_ clawed me in her sleep!" Bluestar snarled.  
Hawkwing looked over at Mudstar. She was smirking over at Spottedfire behind Bluestar's back. She let out a small purr of understanding.  
They finally left camp. Bluestar was over exaggerating his wound a bit at first, but when he saw that it made Mudstar beam with pride, he quickly stopped.  
Soon they arrived in a particularly dark and misty section of the forest.  
Hawkwing leaped into the air. "Hey Rainstar, wouldn't this be the _perfect_ place for MistClan's territory?"  
Stonestar groaned. "Come ON! This isn't fair! Everyone else has picked out the perfect territory for their Clan, and I don't get one? That's completely mouse-brained!"  
Rainstar looked between Hawkwing and Stonestar. "Er... okay, fine! I love it, this is an awesome place, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any forest left for RainClan, Stonestar!" she cried desperately.

"Yeah," Mudstar said. "I mean, we didn't even explore the whole forest yet! Please don't be upset."  
"I'm not upset, Mudstar. I'm just anxious. I don't want to be the only clan without a territory," Stonestar told her.  
"Oh, well, don't worry. If you don't have a territory, you can't be a..." The brown she-cat stopped short. "Oh, I'm sorry Stonestar! I didn't mean to say it like that," Mudstar apologized.  
"That's fine, Mudstar. I know you didn't mean it like that," Stonestar told his brown friend.  
"So let's get going!" Spottedfire meowed.  
"I agree!" Rainstar said, looking between the RainClan and CloudClan leaders.

For the rest of the morning, the cats looked around the misty forest. Stonestar cheered up slightly when he made an impressive kill while Mudstar and Rainstar were watching. He gave the mouse to Rainstar with, "May our Clans forever be in peace with each other."  
As sunhigh set in, the misty forest gave way to a boggy marshland with a few pine trees.  
"What about this for RainClan?" Hawkwing asked, trying not to wrinkle her nose.  
"It's quite disgusting," Bluestar commented, shaking water from his paws after he stepped in a pool of water by accident.  
"Nobody cares what _you_ think," Mudstar hissed, carefully watching as Stonestar gave the area a good sniff.  
"Please, no fighting today," begged Spottedfire, her flame-colored eyes wide.  
Bluestar curled his lip at the medicine cat, but said nothing.  
"It's great here!" Stonestar meowed, oblivious to the tension between Mudstar and Bluestar. "Shall we find our way back to Willow Rock now? I'd like to see more of the territory on the way."

"Fine by me," Hawkwing meowed.  
Along the way, Stonestar sniffed every twig and puddle, his eyes bright.  
"Why are you so happy?" asked Bluestar angrily.  
"Everyone has a territory! StarClan look after us, and they chose us, above any other cats, to be leaders in something new to everyone. What's wrong with you?" Stonestar asked dumbly.  
"I just hate this marsh!" said Bluestar with anger in his voice, and then he fell to the back of the line to walk next to Rainstar. She murmured sympathetically in his ear and stroked his back with her tail.  
"Get your tail out of a knot, Bluestar," Stonestar muttered under his breath.  
Suddenly, a streak of gold flashed past Bluestar. He yowled in alarm. The streak of gold flashed by again, slower this time to reveal a golden brown she-cat.  
"Hello," she meowed. "What are you doing in the marsh? I rarely get visitors."  
"Hello," said Stonestar calmly. He could hear Rainstar calling Bluestar a big kit in the back of the line.  
"I'm Ivy, nice to meet you," the gold she-cat informed the traveling cats.  
"I'm Stonestar, leader of RainClan, the greatest clan of them all. All being Rain (the mightiest), Mist, Snow and Cloud," said Stonestar very strongly.  
"Whoa! No, no, no... Excuse my confused friend," said Rainstar quickly. "We are all equal. And he's just talking complete gibberish." Ivy gigged. "I am the leader of MistClan. This is Bluestar, leader of SnowClan, and there is Mudstar, leader of CloudClan."  
"Clan?" Ivy said, looking confused.

Rainstar quickly explained what a Clan was and how they worked. Ivy listened to every word, her green eyes bright when Rainstar asked if she wanted to join.  
"Join a Clan? But which one?" Ivy mewed, glancing at each leader.  
"You live here, in the marsh, right?" Stonestar asked. Ivy nodded. "RainClan is thinking of setting our territory here. Why not join RainClan?"  
"You're the leader of RainClan, correct?" Stonestar nodded, puffing out his chest. Ivy wrinkled her nose. "You're weird. And truthfully, I'm not fond of the marsh. I rather like the misty forest in that direction." She angled her ears in the direction the traveling cats had come from. "Who's going to live there?"  
"I am!" Rainstar said. Ivy looked relieved, for she seemed to have warmed to Rainstar.  
"Then I think MistClan would be right for me," she said, glancing at Stonestar, who looked down. Rainstar purred.  
Bluestar icily looked at the newest MistClan member. "You're going to give her a warrior name, aren't you?"  
Glaring, Mudstar hissed, "Of course she is! Mouse brain."  
Rainstar silenced them. "I think I remember the right words..." She jumped up on a nearby rock and beckoned Ivy to come sit beside her. Ivy obliged. "I, Rainstar, leader of MistClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this rogue. She is fit for the life of a Clan cat, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Rainstar looked at Ivy. Ivy looked at Rainstar. "Ivy, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend MistClan, even at the cost of your life?"  
Ivy replied, "Sure. I'd do that."  
Bluestar winced and muttered, "That's not the proper reply," but Stonestar stuffed his tail in Bluestar's mouth to make him quiet.  
Rainstar barely glanced at the toms. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Ivy, from this moment you will be known as Ivyclaw. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and energy, and we welcome you as a full warrior of MistClan."

Rainshadow jumped down from the rock and rested her speckled head on top of Ivyclaw's golden one.  
"Lick her shoulder!" Mudstar whispered to the golden she-cat.  
Respectfully, Ivyclaw bent her head and licked her new leader's shoulder.  
"Why didn't I get a ceremony like that?" Hawkwing asked.  
"Me to!" Spottedfire came into the conversation.  
"Because you're not a warrior!" Mudstar told her.  
"And because I forgot the words when I was giving you your warrior name," Rainstar added, a little embarrassed at her own loss of thought.

"Never mind," Hawkwing muttered.  
"So, where are you headed?" Ivyclaw asked.  
"Have you seen that huge willow tree on that slice of land surrounded by the stream?" Mudstar asked. Ivyclaw nodded. "It's called Willow Rock, and we're going there.  
"Why?"  
Bluestar spoke up. "So we can decide how to divide up the territory and where to set the borders, though _I_ think it's going to be a waste of time since everyone already knows where they want to live." He glared at his companions, who ignored him.  
"Then we'd better get moving," Ivyclaw said brightly, already walking away. Hawkwing quickly followed her, and Bluestar began grumbling about how warriors should respect their leaders more. Mudstar, Stonestar, Rainstar, and Spottedfire raced after the MistClan warriors, Bluestar following more slowly.

Just as the sun was setting, the cats arrived at the Willow Rock island. They quickly crossed an abandoned Twoleg bridge covered in ivy to get on the island, and the four leaders jumped up on Willow Rock. Spottedfire, Ivyclaw, and Hawkwing sat at the base of the rock.  
"Now that we've seen every part of the forest, and we all seem to know where we want to live, the day after the half-moon we'll set the boundaries," Rainstar started.  
"That sounds fair," Mudstar said.  
"What sounds fair?" A black cat stepped out of the shadow of the rock. The Clan cats jumped. "What are you doing here?"  
"Who are _you_?" Bluestar spat, his fur bristling, baring his teeth.  
"Shh," Stonestar hissed to Bluestar as Rainstar jumped off of Willow Rock to face the black cat.  
"Hello," she greeted. "I am Rainstar of MistClan. My companions and I have just made a journey around the forest for new homes for our Clans."  
The black cat cocked her head in curiosity. "What happened to your old home?"  
"We never had an old home," Mudstar meowed, jumping down to sit by Rainstar. "These Clans are new, and we're trying to make them work. Snowtail asked us to."  
"Who's Snowtail?"  
Mudstar explained quickly. Rainstar followed up with an explanation of what a Clan was. The cat looked mildly interested.  
"I live alone. By the way, my name is Rock." She dipped her head.

"So are you thinking about joining one of the clans?" Rainstar asked Rock.  
"She can't decide unless she knows all the rules!" Mudstar told Rainstar. Quickly the CloudClan leader started explaining the Warrior Code. "So now that you know EVERYTHING..." Mudstar paused throwing a glance at the MistClan leader. "How about joining?" Mudstar finished.  
"Can I get back to you?" Rock meowed. "I have a lot to think about!"  
"Of course; we don't want to rush you into a life-changing decision," Rainstar meowed, jumping back into the conversation.  
"We'll be here until sunhigh tomorrow."  
"I'll come back at sunhigh," Rock meowed and walked back through the bush she came from.  
"Now, let's get this territory dividing stuff into action!" Bluestar meowed hastily.

Rainstar glared at Bluestar. "I JUST said that we'd set the boundaries the day after the half moon! Don't you ever LISTEN?"  
"Sorry, but I was a BIT distracted by the odd scent," Bluestar spat back, "especially of that Rock character."  
"Calm down, you guys," Spottedfire hissed. "Get some rest. You're off searching for your Clans tomorrow, remember?"  
"You don't need to tell us twice," Hawkwing yawned, flopping down next to Ivyclaw.

Soon all of the clan cats were snoring except for the CloudClan medicine cat, who was staring up at the starry sky.

"Spottedfire," Some cat behind her meowed. The tortoiseshell She-cat turned and was greeted by a white tom cat.  
"Who are you?" Spottedfire meowed warily.  
"I'm Snowtail. A member of StarClan. I've come to tell you some herbs that will be useful for you in the medicine den."  
"Please continue," Spottedfire responded.

"Yarrow can be used to make cats sick to expel poison," he began, and had soon listed a whole number of herbs.

"Thank you, Snowtail. I will do my best to remember all of them and to help my clan," Spottedfire meowed.  
"I know you'll do a great job, Spottedfire." With that Snowtail walked away and disappeared into a pelt of stars.


	3. A Meeting Between Two Leaders RMSC

The night was quiet. Barely a claw of the moon shone into the black forest. A stream was babbling mutedly beside a large. White-gray stone where two figures sat curled up together, huddling against the cold wind leaf-fall brought.

"This is wrong," murmured one of the figures, the starlight barely revealing her dark, spotted fur.

"I don't care," whispered her companion, a lighter-colored but thicker-furred cat. He gently licked her ears.

"But Stonestar," protested the she-cat, her sapphire eyes glittering with worry. "We're leaders! We should think of our Clans before our happiness. Plus, what if someone caught us?"

"I don't care," repeated Stonestar. "Let them know. Let the whole world know! I love you, Rainstar, and nothing will ever change my mind – or my heart."

"Yes, but what about your Clan?" Rainstar pressed. "There will come a time when you have to choose, mark my words."

An owl hooted in a nearby tree, startling the cats.

"We should go," Rainstar whispered, standing up.

"Will I see you again?" asked Stonestar, amber eyes clouding.

"Tomorrow," replied Rainstar, and with that she jumped off of the rock, over the stream, and disappeared into the foggy territory of MistClan.

-

The nights were becoming colder. Stonestar shivered as a harsh breeze ruffled his greenleaf-thin fur as he sat on the same frozen rock as the night before.

"Where is she?" he murmured to himself. Rainstar had not arrived, and the moon was beginning to dip low. The forest around him was very quiet, and the wind had stopped blowing. Even the stream surrounding the island had ceased activity.

Stonestar felt his paws prickle as a thought crossed his mind: she's not coming.

Of course she's coming! he protested, shaking his head.

A rustle in the trees and a fresh MistClan scent made Stonestar look up, only to find himself face-to-face with a snowy white she-cat.

"You shouldn't be here," she said in a very strong voice, though Stonestar could detect a hint of sympathy.

"Ivorycloud? Why are you here?" Stonestar felt the fur on his shoulders rising.

"Rainstar told me everything." Ivorycloud sat down and wrapped her slender tail around delicate white paws.

"Oh." Stonestar's ears flattened and his tail drooped. After a moment in silence, he let out a small wail. "What am I going to do?"

"Rainstar and you have a choice to make; but before you make any decisions, I want to let you in on a little secret. You have one life – well, yes, technically nine," she corrected herself as Stonestar opened his mouth to argue, "and one chance to live it. You have forever in StarClan. Would you rather spend a lifetime with Rainstar, or eternity?"

Stonestar pondered Ivorycloud's words for a moment before replying, "You're saying I should be the best leader I can be, and reward my life by spending my time in StarClan with Rainstar." Ivorycloud nodded. Stonestar sighed. "Then I shall live my life to the fullest. Thank you, Ivorycloud."

"A wise leader knows when to listen to the words of a medicine cat," Ivorycloud meowed, satisfied, disappearing into the fog.

"I will wait," Stonestar whispered, getting up to return to his own home. "I will wait for you, Rainstar."

-

The sky was starting to turn dawn-gray as two cats silently padded through the misty underbrush. One of the two, a brown tabby, turned to the other.

"You did the right thing, Rainstar."

Rainstar looked at her friend seriously. "I hope I did, Hawkwing."

Hawkwing lightly brushed her leader's shoulders with her tail and the two she-cats quietly walked back to camp.


	4. The Kissing Game SB

"We'll be back in a moment," a silvery gray she-cat murmured to her sleeping kits. She and the other nursery queen, a cream-and-brown she-cat, silently slipped out of the nursery.

It was early morning, and the watery dawn light just barely seeped through the thick bramble covering on the nursery walls. A tiny brown she-kit sat up as soon as her mother was out of sight, excitedly blinking her emerald green eyes open.

"Fawnkit!" she hissed to her littermate, a brown and white she-kit. "Wake up!"

Fawnkit blinked. "What is it, Rosekit? It's barely morning yet!"

"Shh," Rosekit murmured. "Wake Wildkit and I'll tell you."

Fawnkit yawned widely, showing tiny, perfectly white teeth and a very pink tongue. "Fine." She rose to her paws and licked some moss off of her tail. Arching her back in a stretch, Fawnkit prodded a calico kit with her front paw.

"Wildkit! Wake up! Rosekit wants to tell us something."

It took a few moments to convince Wildkit to wake, but she finally did.

"Ok, what's this big important thing you have to tell us?" Fawnkit asked.

"Last night, just before I fell asleep, I thought of a way to get back at the toms for scaring us yesterday morning."

"We scare them back?" squeaked Wildkit, her blue eyes bright.

"No, we use a power only she-cats have," Rosekit replied, tail flicking with excitement.

"What power is that?" asked Fawnkit.

"It's called she-cat power. I saw Icepaw using it on Lightningscar the other day."

"Ok, what do we do?" Wildkit mewed.

Rosekit motioned with her ears to the sleeping gray and black heaps of fur on the other side of the nursery. "Watch."

Lightly stepping over to the toms, she bent down until she was barely half a whisker from the gray kit's ear.

"Stonekit," she whispered sweetly. Stonekit instantly raised his head. Rosekit licked his ear.

Stonekit let out a yowl that could've woken StarClan. "Cooties!" he moaned, vigorously rubbing the side of his head on the moss bedding. After the second lick, he was up and running, waking his black littermate.

By that time, Fawnkit and Wildkit had joined Rosekit and were dashing madly around the small den, chasing Stonekit and his littermate. Moss was being scattered everywhere.

"Come here, Webkit!" Fawnkit screeched to the black tom, her amber eyes sparkling. All of the she-kits were sincerely enjoying themselves.

The chase soon moved to the main clearing of the camp, where the zooming kits tripped many warriors as they rushed out of their dens.

"What's going on?" one cat yowled. The kits stopped in their tracks. _Tawnystar!_

"Rosekit! Fawnkit! _Wildkit!_" a second cat meowed harshly, her cream fur bristling.

"Hello, Mother," Rosekit squeaked sheepishly. The she-cat still glared.

"Stonekit, Webkit, are you hurt?" the silvery gray queen asked, licking her two kits vigorously. The toms nodded. "I think they were just playing, Appleblossom," she meowed to her friend.

"That doesn't get my kits out of any less trouble, Silvermist," Appleblossom said back. "Was this your idea, Rosekit?"

Rosekit bowed her head. Glancing over at Stonekit, his yellow eyes betrayed only sympathy. _At least he's not gloating,_ Rosekit thought. _That's something._

Later in the day, around sunhigh, Rosekit awoke from a nap. The moss beside her was cold, so she decided that her mother must have gone out hunting.

"Patrol the border by MagicClan," Rosekit heard a cat meow from just outside the nursery. "Make sure the markers are renewed. Tawnystar says to look for any signs of trouble."

The voice belonged to Sweetleaf, the brown tabby deputy. _I wish I could go on the patrol_, Rosekit thought. But after the trouble she had gotten in that morning, Rosekit and her sisters had to stay within two tail-lengths of the nursery entry.

But this only made Rosekit more eager to leave the camp. She had never been beyond the gorse and bramble walls, and she was eager to explore. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Fawnkit!" she hissed, prodding her sister awake for the second time the day.

When Fawnkit blinked awake, she groaned. "Not _another_ one of your brilliant ideas!" Rosekit twitched her ears.

"Just wake up Wildkit," she replied.

Rolling her eyes, Fawnkit rolled over and battered at the mound of orange and black fur beside her. "Wildkit!"

Before long, Rosekit's sleepy sisters were up and eager to hear Rosekit's idea.

"Ok, before Appleblossom or Silvermist gets back, we're going to leave camp. I figure that a little bit of exploring wouldn't hurt us."

"What about Stonekit and Webkit?" Wildkit asked. "Won't they want to come, too?"

"Well, it might be a good idea to let them know that we're leaving. I know that at least Stonekit will cover for us," Rosekit said.

Rosekit padded over to the sleeping toms and rudely poked Stonekit with one of her tiny, thorn-sharp claws.

"Eeowww," Stonekit started to yowl, but Rosekit cleverly stuck her tail in his mouth.

"Shut up. I have to tell you something. Fawnkit, Wildkit, and I are going exploring. Will you cover for us?"

"Why? Can't I go?" Stonekit mewed after spitting out a mouthful of Rosekit's tail fur.

"Maybe next time, but we really need you here," replied Rosekit, grooming her tail smooth. Stonekit looked disappointed.

Wildkit glanced at him sympathetically. "We'd better get going," she decided.

"Yeah, otherwise we'll never get another chance!" Fawnkit bounced, eager to leave.

"Fine. Bye, Stonekit," Rosekit said softly to the gray tom.

"Good bye, Rosekit," he murmured back. "Be careful out there. I'll cover for you."

Rosekit blinked appreciatively, and then turned to lead her sisters out of the nursery. Stonekit watched them with sad amber eyes.

Once the three she-kits had left the nursery, Rosekit looked around.

"What do we do now?" murmured Wildkit. "The only way out is the entrance tunnel, and that's guarded all day!"

"Shh," hissed Rosekit. "I found another way out yesterday. Follow me." She crawled around the edge of the camp until she was on the other side of the warrior's den, which was right beside the nursery. Fawnkit was the first to spot a tiny, kit-sized hole where they could just squeeze out of the camp.

"Oh, cool!" Fawnkit whispered, sticking her head through the hole. Wildkit head-butted Fawnkit the rest of the way through, pushing herself past Rosekit to be next.

Soon, all three kits were rushing away from the camp and into the thick forest.

Rosekit stopped. "Now that we're here, what should we do?" she asked.

"I've always wanted to try hunting," Wildkit replied quietly, her eyes watching a nearby mouse.

"Go for it," murmured Fawnkit. "Icepaw showed us the hunter's crouch, remember?" Wildkit nodded, and sprang for the mouse.


	5. PotterClan Lives On SB

PotterClan Lives On

It was late one leaf-bare night. A light sprinkle of snow dusted the forest like a thin, cold blanket. The moon was new, and out of a nearby clump of ferns came an elderly brown tom cat, his wide paws making large imprints in the snow.

He padded through the snow for a bit, slowing down when he spotted his clan's camp in the distance.

Though the lack of moonlight made it hard to see, the tom easily reached the camp entrance, went inside, and jumped up on a large rock in the center of the clearing.

"Darkfoot," he called out. "I wish to speak with you."

The lithe, dark brown shape of Darkfoot appeared as she slipped out into the open, leaving her sleeping den mates behind. She stepped lightly through the snow over to the tom.

"Yes, Mudstar?" she said sweetly.

The tom glared at her. "Darkfoot, you have no right to deny the apprentices their kithood. They are still young cats, and no matter how it bothers you, young cats are immature. Having fun will help them learn."

Darkfoot narrowed her eyes. "Obviously you weren't watching Berrypaw's training this morning. She ignored every bit of advice I was giving her to chase a leaf."

"Oh?" Mudstar said. "And how much free time have you given her since she became an apprentice?"

Darkfoot rolled her eyes. "Battle training every other sunrise and hunting nearly every day... There's no time to rest. PotterClan must be fed and able to defend themselves."

"And did you notice that I only gave you one apprentice? The others aren't of your concern. You're making them clean the elder's den for looking at you funny!"

"I've told you before, that little Icepaw has too much sass for her own good."

Mudstar gave Darkfoot a look of pure hatred. "You're too strict. My clan doesn't run that way!" he yowled.

All around the camp, cats came streaming out of their dens.

"What's going on?" a white apprentice asked her tortoiseshell friend, her blue eyes wide.

On top of the rock, Darkfoot sprang at Mudstar, hissing and unsheathing her claws. Mudstar let out a yowl of defiance and began to fight back.

"Great StarClan!" howled an elder. "What has PotterClan come to? Deputy and leader squabbling over little things! This isn't the clan I grew up in." A young, tawny colored warrior began to shake with fear.

"You've been rewiring my clan ever since I've become old," Mudstar hissed into Darkfoot's ear. "I'm still alive, you know! Everyday, something changes. Tonight, there will be a big change!"

"Oh, and that will be...?" retorted Darkfoot, clawing Mudstar's tail.

"PotterClan is no more!" Mudstar shrieked. "Go," he snarled. "Get out. StarClan has spoken to me, and they fear if we do not split in two, we shall all be killed. Leave, and take your loyal warriors with you. Lead a new clan, and leave mine alone!" The fight stopped at once as Darkfoot stared at her leader, wide-eyed with curiosity.

"Two clans in the forest?" she asked. "But there's always been only one!" She shook her head, recovering from the shock, and then nodded. "If this is what StarClan wish," Darkfoot said, "then I shall lead a new clan. Brightmind!"

A beautiful golden she-cat stepped out from her hiding place behind some ferns. "Yes, Darkfoot?"

"Come with me and be the medicine cat of MagicClan!"

Brightmind's eyes widened. "But what about my apprentice, Snowpaw?" she asked. "She's new at this!"

Darkfoot jumped down off of the large rock and padded over to Brightmind. She murmured something into the medicine cat's ear, and Brightmind bowed her head.

"I shall stay until Snowpaw's ready to take on full medicine cat duties, and then I will come," she told Darkfoot. "Surely you can't refuse that." Darkfoot gave her a curt nod, and then walked over to the center of the group of cats that had gathered during the fight.

"Rainstorm! Blackspark! Foxheart! Yellowfoot!" she barked. Her four closest warriors stepped forward. Darkfoot flicked her tail and all five cats bounded out of the camp, through the snow, to find a new place to settle. Mudstar glanced around, challenging anyone to follow Darkfoot. Silently, two ginger warriors stood up and left.

"Mudstar?" asked the youngest queen in the Clan, barely older than an apprentice herself. Mudstar turned his head to focus his gaze on her light blue eyes. "If StarClan has declared that we aren't PotterClan anymore, what will we call ourselves?"

"Good question, Appleblossom," he replied. "From this day onward," he said loudly, addressing the whole clan, "we will be known as SpellClan."

"SpellClan!" squeaked Appleblossom's tiniest kit, a light brown she-kit with bright green eyes. "I love it!"

As moons passed, MagicClan and SpellClan grew stronger. Mudstar named a young warrior called Tawnyfur as his new deputy, much to the displeasure of his senior warriors.

"Why not me?" asked an older, more experienced warrior by the name of Fruitheart.

"Because you're bisexual," was Mudstar's reply.

One of MagicClan's warriors had had a large litter of kits, two of which left MagicClan to join SpellClan. They claimed that their leader, Darkstar, had a strict rule of no foolishness from kits, apprentices, or warriors that denied then a unique personality. Mudstar accepted them without further questioning.

Time went by and Mudstar arrived on his last life, which was so cruelly taken by an intruding badger. Tawnystar then became leader, naming the medicine cat's sister, a brown she-cat called Sweetleaf, deputy. Fruitheart went to join the elders, and Appleblossom's first litter became apprentices, along with Silvermist's kits.

Greenleaf had set in, and two cats silently slipped out of their sleeping camp.

They walked for a bit before the larger of the two cats, a white she-cat, turned to talk to the other. "I hear that a new Clan is coming to the forest," she said.

"I wonder how Tawnystar's going to feel about that," the smaller, brown-pelted she-cat replied, flicking her ears back to the camp. "There have always been two Clans in the forest."

The white she-cat padded over to a shady patch of dirt, and, shifting her weight to her haunches, sat down. Her companion slowed to a stop and sat down beside her.

"What's wrong, Iceclaw?" the brown cat asked.

"Did I ever tell you that MagicClan and SpellClan used to be one big clan called PotterClan?" The younger she-cat shook her head. "It's true. You were just a kit. Berryspots's mentor was Darkstar, known as Darkfoot then. She was deputy before Mudstar received a message from StarClan, warning him that unless PotterClan split in two, all of our cats would die. So the Clan split and Darkstar took some warriors and left. Mudstar renamed the remaining warriors SpellClan." The young brown cat's green eyes were wide as she listened to her Clan's history.

"So... there _haven't_ always been two clans? I shared a clan with _Darkstar_?" Iceclaw nodded.

"Come on, Rosepaw, we're wasting sunlight. This is your first day as an apprentice, and I swore I'd show you our territory." Iceclaw stood up, shaking the dust off of her thick, snowy fur. She flicked her tail at Rosepaw, who copied her mentor's action and padded off behind Iceclaw.

After traveling a ways, Iceclaw stopped. "Do you smell that?" she asked.

Rosepaw sniffed, inhaling deeply. Then she wrinkled her nose. "Yuck! What's that?"

"MagicClan. That's their border, right across the river."

"Well, they stink!"

"Yes, they do."

The two cats set off again, soon stopping under a large, unfamiliar tree.

"What's that?" asked Rosepaw, gazing up at the tree's leafy branches.

"This," Iceclaw announced formally, "is Penguin Tree."

"Penguin Tree?" replied Rosepaw. "What's a penguin?"

"A penguin is a mythical, flightless, black and white bird that lives in a place that's cold in every season," recited Iceclaw, remembering what her mentor had first told her.

"Wow, I'd freeze my whiskers off!"

"Probably!" purred Iceclaw.

By sunset, the two she-cats had explored all of SpellClan's territory. When they arrived back at camp, a very pale ginger tom raced toward them.

The look on his face made Iceclaw ask, "What's up, Tawnystar?"

Rosepaw bowed her head out of respect to her Clan leader. She didn't know how Iceclaw could be so relaxed in her speaking to him. But, of course, they had been friends a long time.

"Sweetleaf's just told me about the new Clan. Did you, by any chance, scent them?" His worried glance told Rosepaw that Tawnystar didn't want this new Clan too close to his borders.

"Sorry, Tawnystar," said Iceclaw. "We didn't."

"They might be settling on the other side of the river, on that bit of unclaimed territory right behind MagicClan's camp," a new voice suggested. Tawnystar spun around, coming face to face with one of his new apprentices, a scrawny black tom.

With his leader staring at him, the apprentice quickly added, "Sir."

Tawnystar began to nod. "You may be right, Webpaw." Webpaw dipped his head and backed away. Tawnystar turned back to Iceclaw and Rosepaw.

"Tonight is the half-moon. Snowflower could ask Brightmind about it," suggested Iceclaw.

"True! Good thinking, Iceclaw. You, kit! Rosekit!" he barked at Rosepaw. "Go tell Snowflower about this." Rosepaw dashed off.

"Have you misplaced your brain, or do you just not care that Rose_paw_ is my apprentice?" inquired Iceclaw, flicking her ears at Rosepaw's retreating back.

"Apprentice? When did that happen?"

"Great StarClan, you're a stupid furball; her ceremony was _yesterday_!"

"Oh dear, we're out of poppy seeds already? Radishpaw and I will need to collect some more tomorrow," a slender black she-cat muttered to herself, pawing through a pile of leaves and berries.

Suddenly there was a rustling at the entrance of her den. "Who's there?" she called softly, peering though the ferns.

"It's me, Rosepaw!" The tabby apprentice wiggled her way though the fern entrance and looked up at the black medicine cat.

"Snowflower," she panted. "Tawnystar wants you to ask Brightmind if her Clan has scented anything unusual from the unclaimed territory beyond their camp."

"Alright. Tell Tawnystar I'll ask." Snowflower flicked her long tail to dismiss Rosepaw. The brown she-cat bounded out of the medicine den, and Snowflower went back to checking her store of herbs.

Not long after, Snowflower got up and stretched her legs. It was time to leave for the Moonstone. She padded lightly out of her den and through the camp, nodding at a blue-gray tom guarding the entrance.

"Travel safely," he called.

"Thank you, Bluefoot," she murmured back.

Stalking quietly through the brambles, Snowflower arrived at the river where she met up with Brightmind, MagicClan's golden-furred medicine cat. Brightmind jumped up happily and touched noses with her former apprentice.

The two she-cats walked side-by-side for a while, and Snowflower thought it would be a good time to ask Brightmind about the new Clan.

"Brightmind, has your Clan..." she started, but stopped when she heard a rustle behind her, followed by a slightly familiar scent. "Who's there?"

The rustling got louder, and a black she-cat appeared. Snowflower recognized her instantly.

"Firewhiskey! What are you doing here?"

"Why, I am going to the Moonstone with the other medicine cats!" Firewhiskey replied.

"Medicine cat?" Brightmind asked. "You're a medicine cat?"

"Not just _a_ medicine cat, but _the_ medicine cat of my new Clan!" she purred.

"I thought you left PotterClan to be a rogue," Snowflower meowed. "You're in a new Clan now?"

Firewhiskey nodded. "ImposterClan, Patchstar calls us. We're mostly made up of rogues, but Goldenlion joined with me."

"Goldenlion? She left us to join another Clan?"

Brightmind flicked her tail impatiently, and the now three medicine cats began to walk on the path to the Moonstone.

Snowflower curiously began to ask questions about the new ImposterClan. "Who's the deputy?"

"Well, it's this she-cat almost identical to Icepaw," Firewhiskey said.

"Iceclaw," Brightmind corrected quietly.

"Yes, yes, Iceclaw then. Patchstar calls her Iceheart. I'm the medicine cat of course, and our warriors are called Swiftwit, Greenflame, Bluefire, Specklefur, and Goldenlion, of course. Since it's so new, we aren't very big, so don't tell your leaders to plan an attack on us until we get a bit stronger."

After padding though the dark for a distance, they arrived at the entrance to the Moonstone. Slipping silently through the twisting and turning tunnels, the Moonstone soon came into view. Brightmind and Snowflower touched their noses to the stone, slipping into a dream-like state. Firewhiskey copied their action quickly.

The next day's dawn sun began to rise. A young tom opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times, and then yawned. He got up and stretched, his dark gray fur black in the shadow of the apprentice's den.

The tom glanced around at his sleeping den mates, their chests rising and falling gently, before he padded out to the fresh-kill pile. There was a mouse and a vole left over from the day before, and he decided to leave them for his leader and medicine cat.

Yawning again, the young tom began to groom his fur smooth. _I'm glad I don't have Wildpaw's fur,_ he thought to himself. _She always has bed-head!_

Suddenly a cat came rushing into SpellClan's camp. "Tawnystar! Tawnystar, you'll never believe this!" she yowled. Snowflower had returned.

Tawnystar rushed out of his den, eyes wide in alarm, fur bristling. His deputy, Sweetleaf, rushed after him. "What's wrong, Snowflower?" he asked.

But Snowflower's eyes were excited, not panicked, as Tawnystar thought. "I have news of the new Clan!"

Tawnystar, Sweetleaf, and Snowflower all disappeared into Tawnystar's den to discuss Snowflower's news.

"I wonder what kind of news it is," someone murmured beside the gray tom.

He jumped. "Webpaw! You scared me!" His black friend's whiskers twitched.

"Sorry, Stonepaw. I swear I thought you could hear me coming."

Webpaw lied down next to Stonepaw and started to groom his friend's ears.

The dawn hunting patrol returned, and Stonepaw grabbed a mouse to share with Webpaw. Heartbeats after they tore into it, Tawnystar bounded out of his den and jumped up on the announcement rock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the announcement rock for a Clan meeting!" he yowled, the urgency of his voice sending cats shooting out of their dens. The Clan was settled in no time. Webpaw glanced at Stonepaw, and they got up to sit with the other apprentices. Webpaw settled himself next to a tabby she-cat, and Stonepaw rested beside Webpaw.

"What's going on?" the she-cat whispered to Webpaw.

"Well duh, Rosepaw, a meeting is going on," her scrawny, brown-and-white speckled friend answered for Webpaw, flicking her tail-tip.

"Oh, shut up Fawnpaw," Rosepaw snapped playfully.

Webpaw nudged Rosepaw, who glanced up at Tawnystar. Tawnystar gave the apprentice a hard stare before speaking. Rosepaw gave Fawnpaw a light kick as soon as Tawnystar looked away. Stonepaw stifled a laugh.

"Cats of SpellClan," Tawnystar began. "A new Clan has indeed come to the forest. Snowflower has come back with news of them." He took a dramatic pause to glance at Snowflower, who casually flicked her ears as if to say, _Did you take your medicine this morning?_ Tawnystar turned his gaze back to the Clan. "How many of you remember a cat called Firewhiskey?" he asked, and over half the Clan raised their tails. He took another pause to slowly count the tails raised, muttering the numbers under his breath.

Sweetleaf, who was sitting beside the announcement rock, jumped up to sit by Tawnystar and delicately rake his ear with her claws while hissing, "_Do you like acting foolish? Please try to be normal!_" She jumped down again before he could take a swipe at her.

Tawnystar cleared his throat. "Alright, since someone happens to not enjoy my meetings, I'll have to revise it, also known as getting right to the point. So, new Clan, territory behind MagicClan, Firewhiskey is new medicine cat. The end, go back to your duties." He jumped down from the rock and padded over to Stonepaw.

"Great meeting, Tawnystar, sir!" Stonepaw bowed his head.

"Whatever. Come on, dude, let's go do some fighting practice. Race you!" Tawnystar ran to the entrance, Stonepaw hard on his heels. Glancing back, Stonepaw watched Sweetleaf shake her brown head sadly, then organize a hunting patrol out of Fawnpaw, Rosepaw, Iceclaw, and Fawnpaw's tortoiseshell mentor, Berryspots.

Panting, Tawnystar began to slow down. He and Stonepaw had just arrived at the training hollow.

"What are you going to teach me today, Tawnystar?" Stonepaw asked, sitting down to catch his breath.

"A simpler spell than usual, since you seem to be having trouble with the ones we've been practicing." Tawnystar pointed his long tail at the gray apprentice and said, "Stupify!"

Stonepaw instantly fell to the ground. Tawnystar stepped softly over to him.

Putting his tail on the cat who seemed sleep-bound, he muttered, "Ennervate." Stonepaw blinked a few times.


End file.
